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Lesson 1: Lines, Ellipses and Boxes
What Next?
So assuming you've been reading diligently (starting from lesson 0) and have followed the instructions of completing only the recommended number of pages, then you're probably wondering, "what do I do now?"
Well, the smart thing would be to get your homework reviewed. Let's say you've done that already, and want to know what your next step is going to be.
Your next step is to tackle the 250 box challenge. This exercise will take what you were introduced to in the rotated boxes and organic perspective boxes exercises and work on developing your overall grasp of, and comfort with, freely rotating forms in 3D space. The notes and video there cover techniques that will help you do this as efficiently and effectively as possible as well.
It's a tall order, but most who've gone through it have shown considerable improvement - especially those who've read through the notes and applied the error-checking approaches consistently.
And before you go, I hope you've been able to get your work reviewed by other members of the community to make sure you're still on track. You can watch me get my work reviewed by Uncomfortable, live!
He points out some mistakes I've made, and also talks about common issues he sees when critiquing others' work.
Ellipse Master Template
This recommendation is really just for those of you who've reached lesson 6 and onwards.
I haven't found the actual brand you buy to matter much, so you may want to shop around. This one is a "master" template, which will give you a broad range of ellipse degrees and sizes (this one ranges between 0.25 inches and 1.5 inches), and is a good place to start. You may end up finding that this range limits the kinds of ellipses you draw, forcing you to work within those bounds, but it may still be worth it as full sets of ellipse guides can run you quite a bit more, simply due to the sizes and degrees that need to be covered.
No matter which brand of ellipse guide you decide to pick up, make sure they have little markings for the minor axes.